A lure is used to attract the attention of a fish, typically to cause the fish to bite the lure. Lures are often formed with one or more hooks to hook fish that bite the lures.
Lures are usually designed to catch particular types of fish. Each lure therefore simulates the appearance of something from the normal diet of a fish it is intended to catch.
Despite the usefulness of lures, fish are more attracted to bait (e.g. live bait or the flesh of a real creature) since bait has the scent of, and moves like, something the fish would usually eat. Movement of the bait catches the eye of the fish, and the scent of the bait will attract the fish even when the bait is out of eyeshot. However, bait does not keep well unless frozen, which makes lures more practical for circumstances where refrigeration is not available.